1665]
“ PEPYS' DIARY"

25 active, and the Duke of York, who was in command, appointed the Admiral to accompany him in the flag-ship. This filled the envious Pepys with spleen :

“December 28, 1664.—That Sir William Pen should go in the same vessel as the Duke is an honour which, God forgive me, I could grudge him, for his knavery and dissimulation.”ı

These sentiments did not, however, prevent Pepys from constantly seeking his society, he found the Admiral was an excellent leader into the circle he craved after with so much eagerness. His wife and himself also visited Lady Penn with evident pleasure. In December of that year he writes :

“ December 28.-To Sir W. Pen to see his lady, who is a well-looked, fat, short, old Dutchwoman, but one that hath been heretofore pretty handsome, and is, I believe, very discreet, and hath more wit than her husband.” 2

And again : “Went with my wife to see Lady Pen, and shown a fine rarity. Fishes kept in a glass of water that will live for ever so long, and finely marked, being foreign."

During this time young William was studying law in Lincoln's Inn, a study which in after life proved of no small importance to him, as we shall see later. His mother stood up for him on every 1 Pepys' Diary, vol. ii., p. 235. 2 Ibid., vol. ii., p. 235.

3 Ibid., vol. ii., p. 271.

» 3

D

26

WAR WITH HOLLAND [CHAP. III occasion, and whenever the Admiral complained of his boy's want of social qualities, would tell him he ought to be proud indeed to be the father of such a son.

Affairs of the nation, however, occupied Sir William's mind to the exclusion of everything else, and he ceased to dwell on his son's misdemeanours.

Matters had come to a crisis between England and Holland, and when war was declared, he was given a command, and sailed away with the Lord High Admiral to meet the Dutch. The Duke of York was on board the “Royal Charles,” and young William accompanied his father on his staff. He only stayed, however, a short time on board, and was sent ashore with despatches for the king, as the following letter that he wrote to his father proves :

"NAVY HOUSE, May 6, 1665.

“ HONOURED FATHER,

“On my arrival at Harwich, which was one o'clock of the Sabbath day, I took post for London, and was there the next morning by almost daylight. I hasted to White

I hall

, where, not finding the king up, I presented myself to my Lord of Arlington and Colonel Ashburnham. At His Majesty's knocking, he was informed that there was an express from the Duke, at which, skipping out of bed, he came only in his gown and slippers, who, when he saw

1665]
ENGLAND'S VICTORIES

27 me, said, 'Oh, is't you? How is Sir William?' He asked how you did three several times, and afterwards interrogated me for half-an-hour, and then bid me go about my business and yours.”

It was not till June that the decisive battle was fought and won. The old sailors trained under Blake fought bravely, and came back covered with laurels. The naval pride of Holland had been humbled, and this, the Admiral's last campaign, crowned him also with rewards and honours.

The manner in which this expedition had been arranged caused a great deal of dissatisfaction. Pepys is again our informant, but there was so much venom in his pen, it is hard now to say what was truth and what was exaggeration,

great was the jealousy his neighbour's successes always evoked :

"September 18, 1665.-Went to Gravesend to see the fleet. My Lord Sandwich says he believes no fleet ever set to sea in so ill condition. Mr Coventry ? did not deal fair in sending Sir W. Pen away before him, but he has mastered and cajoled Sir W. Pen, though not really able to do anything with him, but says he is a man of very mean parts, and a fellow not to be lived with, so false and base he is, which I knew well enough to be true.” 8

" 3

28

RETURN OF THE FLEET

[CHAP. III

And again :

“ November 6.-Sir G. Carteret did walk an hour in my garden, talking of Lord Sandwich's business, what enemies he hath, and how they have endeavoured to bespatter him, particularly about his leaving 30 ships of the enemy, when Pen would have gone and his lord called him back, which is most false. The Duke of York is silent and says no hurt, but permits to others to say in his hearing that Sir W. Pen is the falsest rascal that ever was in the world, and that the Duke of Albemarle did tell him Pen was a very cowardly rogue. Sir W. Coventry is most kind to Pen

still.” 1

This did not, however, prevent Pepys, ever anxious to mix with what he considered his social superiors, going on board the Admiral's ship on his return, sailing with him to Gunnborough Water to see the return of the fleet. “Lord Brouncker on board with Sir W. Pen," he mentions with satisfaction.

Pepys' Diary, vol. ii., p. 339.

CHAPTER IV

PLAGUE AND FIRE OF LONDON

ABOUT this time grave fears were entertained in the city of London, on account of a pestilence which was gradually gaining ground. It began in the summer of 1665, and spread with alarming rapidity; in July it was stated that persons perished in one week, and by September the numbers were quoted at 10,000. The area of London was so small, these numbers may have been the exaggerated calculation of the terrified populace. At first the burials were performed by night, mainly to prevent the citizens from taking fright, but soon the numbers increased to such a degree that the plague carts conveying the bodies to hasty burial were going all day, from the Kent Road to St James's, it soon became one vast city of the dead; the coffins were placed at the street doors waiting to be removed; the shops were shut, and the streets empty, save for a few mournful passers-by,